Lady Gaga’s concert in Jakarta on June 3, 2012 has been cancelled because Indonesian authorities worried that Lady Gaga’s performance and suggestive nature doesn’t respect the country’s culture.
Islam Defenders Front (FPI) Jakarta branch chief, Habib Salim Alatas said, “We refuse to have Lady Gaga’s feet touch our land. She’s bringing the faith of Satan to our country and will thus destroy the nation’s morals.” He also added that the government should call on the singer to tone down her so-called sexually provocative behavior on-stage to respect the country.
Some Islamists and conservative Muslims threatened to use physical force to prevent Lady Gaga from stepping off the plane.
Local Jakarta police were worried they could not guarantee the security for Lady Gaga and the permit for the show to have local police protect her was denied.
Muhammad Imdadun Rahmat, deputy-secretary-general of Nahdlatul Ulama, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that he was against the police’s decision to ban the Grammy-award winning singer’s performance in Jakarta. “The police should not have gone as far as banning the concert. They should not intervene against the freedom of expression.”
Lady Gaga’s concert in Jakarta was supposed to be the biggest show on Lady Gaga’s Asian tour, with the concert selling out the Jakarta’s 52,000-seat Gelora Bung Karno stadium. Newspaper reports said more than 25,000 tickets were sold in the first two hours after the concert went on sale in March 2012.
Lady Gaga Jakarta concert ticket-holder Mariska Renata told The Associated Press, “I’m very disappointed. We are mature enough to be able to separate our own moral values from arts and culture.”
Lady Gaga’s Asian tour started in April and most of the concert tickets have sold out. The South Korean concerts were limited to fans 18 or older because conservatives there raised objections.
Lady Gaga Cancel Her Indonesia Tour
Lady Gaga is coming back to Asia for the Born this Way Ball in 2012 with Concerts in South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.
Lady Gaga Asia Tour Concert Schedule 2012:
April 27
>Olympic Stadium, Seoul, South Korea
May 2, 3, 5, 7
>Asia World Arena, Hong Kong
May 10, 12, 13
>Saitama Super Arena, Tokyo, Japan
May 17
>Nangan World Trade Center, Taipei, Taiwan
May 21
>SM Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City, Philippines
May 25
>Rajamangala National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand
May 28, 29, 31
>Indoor Stadium, Singapore
June 3
>Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia
